President Donald Trump has acknowledged that he is “not allowed” to run for a third term in office, citing the limits of the U.S. Constitution — though he hinted, with characteristic ambiguity, that the matter might not be entirely closed.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump said his popularity has never been higher but conceded that constitutional rules stand in his way.
“I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had, and you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run, so we’ll see what happens… It’s too bad,” Trump said.
The U.S. Constitution’s 22nd Amendment restricts presidents to two terms in office. Trump, who began his second term in January after serving his first from 2017 to 2021, has often teased the idea of extending his time in power.
In recent weeks, the 79-year-old former reality TV star has displayed red hats embroidered with “Trump 2028” on his Oval Office desk — a move that has sparked both amusement and alarm across the political spectrum.
While Trump’s supporters have floated scenarios to keep him in the White House beyond his current term, legal and political experts agree that such an outcome would require a constitutional amendment — a process so complex it could take years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he discussed the matter with Trump but “doesn’t see a path” for a third term.
“It’s been a great run, but I think the president knows — and he and I have talked about — the constrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson said.
“There is the 22nd Amendment. You’d need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify an amendment. I don’t see the path for that.”
The speculation intensified after Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon claimed in an interview with The Economist last week that “there is a plan” for Trump to secure a third term.
“He’s going to get a third term… Trump is going to be president in ’28,” Bannon asserted, offering no legal explanation for how that could happen.
Trump dismissed the idea of running again on a shared ticket with Vice President JD Vance but left the door open to supporting another candidate.
“It’s pretty clear I can’t run again,” he said. “But we have a lot of great people.”
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